COVID-19 WRAP | Covid-19 cases in SA increase to 92,681

June 20 2020 - 20:13

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in SA has increased to 92,681, according to stats released by health minister Mkhize, on Saturday Night. 

A total of 1 293 608 tests have been completed, of which 33 174 were new cases.

Regrettably, 46 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported:  11 from Eastern Cape, 3 from KwaZulu Natal and 32 from the Western Cape; increasing the death toll to 1877.

The mortality rate now stands at 2,0% and recoveries at 50,326, which translates to a recovery rate of 54,3%

June 20 2020 - 16:58

Another 64 Covid-19 deaths recorded in the Western Cape

The Western Cape has recorded another 64 deaths, bringing the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in the province to 1,373, premier Alan Winde announced on Saturday.

As of 1pm on Saturday, the province had 12,277 active cases of Covid-19, with a total of 48,806 confirmed cases and 35,156 recoveries, he said.

A total of 1,597 people were being treated in hospitals for the respiratory illness, 304 of whom were in ICU.

June 20 2020 - 13:11

KZN education department slams call by SGBs to keep pupils home as 'unconstitutional'

A call by some school governing bodies for parents to keep their children at home has been slammed as “unconstitutional” by the KwaZulu-Natal education department.

In a statement released on Saturday the department said: “We want to indicate that we view this as an instigation to destabilise the education system and, secondly, disregarding the Covid-19 regulations of gatherings.

June 20 2020 - 12:08

Swiss giant Novartis halts Covid-19 hydroxychloroquine study

Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis has decided to halt a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19, citing problems in recruiting enough patients for the study of the controversial drug.

"Novartis has made the decision to stop and discontinue its sponsored HCQ clinical trial for Covid-19 due to acute enrolment challenges that have made trial completion infeasible," the company said in a statement late Friday.

This problem "made it unlikely that the clinical team will be able to collect meaningful data in a reasonable timeframe," it said.

-AFP

June 20 2020 - 9:22

WHO warns of virus danger as Brazil cases hit one million

The World Health Organisation warned Friday of a "new and dangerous phase" of the coronavirus pandemic, as infections continued to surge in the Americas, with Brazil registering more than one million cases.

Colombia and Mexico also passed bleak milestones, as their death tolls topped 2,000 and 20,000, respectively, showing how the virus continues ravaging the Americas and parts of Asia even as Europe starts to ease out of lockdown.

-AFP

June 20 2020 - 9:00

Beijing tests food, parcel couriers for coronavirus as city checks widen

Officials in Beijing are carrying out nucleic acid tests on all food and parcel delivery personnel as they ramp up efforts to rein in an outbreak of the coronavirus in the Chinese capital, state-backed Beijing News reported on Saturday.

Officials have been expanding testing across the city of 20 million since a cluster of new infections linked to a food wholesale market erupted just over a week ago.

The outbreak, the first in Beijing in months, has now surpassed previous peak numbers in early February.

-Reuters